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Obama seeks GOP help for recovery bill

President Barack Obama's economic stimulus
legislation is headed for the Senate after a surprisingly partisan
vote in the House in which Republicans united in opposition and 11
mostly conservative Democrats defected.

Obama hailed his recovery plan, saying it would "save or create
more than three million new jobs over the next few years."

During Senate debate next week, the measure is expected to pick
up at least some GOP support. But Obama's hopes of changing
Washington's partisan culture went unmet despite the popular
president's separate high-profile meetings on Capitol Hill on
Tuesday with House and Senate Republicans.

The $819 billion measure has attracted criticism from
Republicans and, privately, from some Democrats for spending
billions of dollars on Democratic favorites like education despite
questions as to whether they would really put people to work.

But with unemployment at its highest level in a quarter-century,
the banking industry wobbling despite the infusion of staggering
sums of bailout money and states struggling with budget crises,
Democrats said the legislation was desperately needed.

The House plan largely reflects Obama's desires, but after zero
GOP support, he suggested the House plan was hardly perfect.

"I hope that we can continue to strengthen this plan before it
gets to my desk," Obama said.

The 244-188 House vote registered 177 Republicans unanimous in
opposition.

Tens of billions of dollars would go to the states, which
confront deep budget cuts of their own. That money marks an attempt
to ease the recession's effect on schools and poor people receiving
Medicaid health coverage. There's also money for housing
weatherization, school construction, road building and other
provisions. There are big investments toward Obama's campaign
promise of creating jobs that can reduce the nation's dependence on
foreign oil.

The centerpiece tax cut calls for a $500 break for single
workers and $1,000 for couples, including those who don't earn
enough to owe federal income taxes. There are also tax breaks for
businesses making investments in equipment and renewable energy
production.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was unfortunate that
Republicans could not see fit to support the measure.

"Well, we are definitely stepping up to the plate to say we'll
be accountable," she said in an interview broadcast Thursday.
"Republicans have had their chance. They decided to oppose -
that's their choice."

The California Democrat said her party has "echoed" Obama's
call to action and is ready to defend the large amount of spending
in the measure.

Appearing on another morning news show, White House press
secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama will continue to work with
Republicans to get a package that can win bipartisan support.

"The president knows it's going to take longer than a few days
to change the ways Washington works," Gibbs said.

When asked whether Pelosi had failed the president by crafting a
bill that that Republicans saw as too partisan to support, Gibbs
replied: "This bill went through Congress, through its procedures.
If people stop looking through the partisan lens and through the
economic lens, they'll see it was put together with Democrats and
Republicans and economists who supported us. Because it not only
puts money in people's pockets, but it also creates jobs."

The House vote marked merely one of several steps for the
legislation, which Democratic leaders have pledged to deliver to
the White House for Obama's signature by mid-February.

Already a more bipartisan - and costlier - measure is taking
shape in the Senate, and Obama personally pledged to House and
Senate Republicans in closed-door meetings on Tuesday that he is
ready to accept modifications as the legislation advances.

Democrats had already dropped provisions that Republicans had
mocked, including money to resod the National Mall and expand
family planning programs.

The Senate bill contains a plan that would cost approximately
$70 billion to make sure that about 24 million mostly middle-class
taxpayers don't get hit by the alternative minimum tax. Although
welcome by many lawmakers, the move wouldn't do much to boost the
economy since the AMT "patch" is expected anyway later in the
year if it doesn't pass now.

Pelosi was interviewed on CBS's "The Early Show" and Gibbs
appeared on NBC's "Today" program.